Food service conveyer



July 7, 1953 w. 1.. SPRINGER 2,644,567

. FOOD SERVICE CONVEYER Original Filed Nov. 14, 1945 3 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR. Wlu'ron L. SPRINGER v W. L. SPRINGER FOOD SERVICE CONVEYER July 7, '1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 or inai Filed Nov. 14, 1945 5 6 I r V 5 /m u ,i ..l|, 4 MH y 4 "In fi am 0M 1] v. I /1 8 E 1|- m 1 5 n U AW Z I- H 8 m -7 2 H 8 0 I I a II I I mm I 0 Lu v m 2% z 1 m 5 w w 4 I 4 m M H. I w mW/ Y INVENTOR. Wiu'rou L. SPRINGER I BY A 5 Ai'I'UfiA/EY Patented July 7, 1953 UNITED sures H OFFICE Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 628,537, November 14, 194.5. This application August 24, 1948, Serial No. 45,900

4 Claims. (Cl. 19s-25) This invention relates to food servers and conveyors and more particularly to a restaurant table or counter equipped with rotary service conveyors.

The present application is a substitute for my earlier abandoned application, Serial No. 628,537 filed November 14, 1945.

In present day restaurant and cafeteria arrangements much valuable space is not utilized to the best advantage, as considerable space is taken up by the arrangement of the tables with order and the other for taking away the soiled dishes and eating utensils eliminating the necessity for waiters and/or bus people.

The invention further proposes arranging the conveyors one above another in a manner tobe rotated in opposite directions by a single electric motor or other propulsion means.

Still another object of the present invention proposes using the lower of the two conveyors for carrying away the soiled dishes and eating utensils with the provision of a novel portire arranged in a manner to hide from view the dishes moving with the conveyor.

Another object of the present invention proposes passing the conveyors through a serving booth or kitchen where an attendant receives the guests order and fills the same by placing the requested foods on the top conveyor to be carried to the guest.

Still further the present invention proposes novel mechanism with the serving booth or kitchen arranged to sweep the soiled dishes and utensils off the lower conveyor onto an endless belt in a manner to be carried to a dishwashing Still another object of the-present inventionproposes providing an underpass at one area of the counter or table in a manner to permit guests to pass beneath the table to be seated on the inner periphery of the complete circle.'

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming. a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the restaurant table or conveyor constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. -2 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of a portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the table or conveyor. v

Fi 4 is anelevational view of a portion of Fig. 2 having portions thereof broken away to reveal underneath construction.

5 is an enlarged partial-vertical sectional view of a portion of one of the portiere members.

Fig; 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the portiere members.

' Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 3 illustrating the method of rotatively supporting the conveyors.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the con-' veyors where they pass within the serving booth or kitchen.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is asectional perspective view of a portion of the driving mechanism for the conveyors.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the standard of the top conveyor having aseat number indicator in position thereon.

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of the top portion of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the guests order card. showing the face thereof.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 13 but showing the reverse side of the guests order card. I

Referring now to the drawings, the food server and conveyor according to the present invention includes a circular counter having a circular base If] extended from side to side of a protruding serving booth or portion of the kitchen I I. The base in comprises vertical inner and outer side Wal1s 12 from the'top end of which inner and outer table portions or counters I3 extend. The

. table portions or counters |3extend radially incured to the top edge of the side walls ward .and outward from the side walls I2 and 3 about the base It and extend between the side walls I2 and the bottom faces of the table portion or counters I3 for assisting in supporting the same.

A circular platform I5 is formed on the inner and outer sides of the base I6 and stools I6, upon which guests are to be seated to eat from the table portions or counters I3 (see Fig. l), are mounted on the platforms I5.

Supported by the circular base, between the inner and outer table portions or counters I3, there are superimposed conveyors, a top fresh food conveyor I1 and a bottom conveyor It for soiled dishes and utensils. The conveyors I! and I8 are continuous and arranged one above the other and pass through openings I9 into and out of the serving booth or kitchen II.

Means is provided for rotatively supporting the conveyors IT and I3 to be rotated in oppo site directions, as will hereinafter be described. The means for each of the conveyors is substantially alike and the support for the top conveyor I? will be described in detail. At spaced points beneath the top conveyor I! there are inverted U-shaped brackets 26, which have the free ends of their arms mounted on the top face of the table portions or counters I3 by means of screws 2|. The intermediate arms of the inverted U- shaped brackets 20 carry a circular track 22 which extends from one side of the serving booth or kitchen II to the other. Spaced brackets 23 are mounted on the bottom face of the top: con-' veyor IT by means of screws 24 and rotatively support shafts 25. The track 22 is channelshaped and mounted on the U-shaped brackets 20. Intermediate of their ends are rollers 23 which engage in the channel-shaped track 22. Also mounted on the shafts 25, there are guide rollers 21 which engage the sides of the channelshaped track 22. The rollers 26 are provided at spaced points along the bottom face of the top conveyor I1 and all cooperate to rotatively support the top conveyor.

. The rotative support for the bottom conveyor I8 is substantially the same as that described for the top conveyor H, as previously indicated, except that the brackets 20 for the lower channelshaped track 22 are substantially straight and have their ends attached to the inside faces of the side walls I2 by means of screws 21'.

- Within the serving booth or kitchen I I, means is provided for rotating the conveyors I1 and I8 in opposite directions. This rotating means comprises an electric motor 28 'mounted on the inner wall of the serving booth or kitchen I I and having a projecting shaft 29 upon which a large gear 36 is mounted. The gear 30 meshes with a continuous circular rack 3I formed on the bottom face of the top conveyor I! and with a continuous circular rack 32 formed on the top face of the bottom conveyor I8. Thus, when the electric motor is operating, the gear 30 will be turned to in turn rotate the conveyors I! and I8 in opposite directions.

: Also operated by the motor 28 is mechanism for sweeping the soiled dishes and utensils off the lower conveyor I8 onto an adjacent moving belt 33 for conveying the soiled dishes and uten-' sils to a washing station, not shown on the drawings. This means includes a bevel gear 34 on an extended end of the shaft 29 which meshes with extending from the floor; A sweeper member 38 is mounted on the vertical shaft to rotate therewith across the top of the bottom conveyor I8. The sweeper member 38 comprises a hub 39 fixed to the vertical shaft 36 and radially extending sweeper blades 46 extending from the hub 39 to move across the top face of the bottom conveyor I8.

The moving belt 33 extends radially from one side of the bottom conveyor I8 and engages over a roller -4I supported at one end by the fixed bracket 31 and at the other end by another bracket 42 extending up from the floor. The top run of the moving belt 33 is supported by a fixedly mounted shelf member 43 and moves across the face thereof. It is understood that the moving belt 33 moves at a rate faster than the bottom conveyor I8 so that the soiled dishes and utensils will be carried away from the sweeper blades of the sweeper member 38, before the blades have an opportunity to sweep the soiled dishes and utensils onto the floor. If desired, stationary walls or guides may be provided at the back of the conveyor I8 and the adjacent sides of the conveyor and the moving belt 33 for guidin movement of the soiled dishes and utensils from the bottom conveyor I8 to the moving belt 33.

The table portions or counters I3 are divided into separate eating areas designated by the seating numbers 43, see Fig. 2. Each seating area also includes a switch 44 which can be operated at the discretion of the guest for stopping rotation of the conveyors I! and I8 and espe-' cially the top conveyor to facilitate removal of the food articles therefrom.- The switches 44 are all mounted in series in a circuit which includes the motor 28 for stopping the operation of the motor when anyone of the switches 44 is open.

A bracket 45 is rested on the top face of the table portion or counter I3 within each eating area for supporting a menu card 46. Details of the face side of the menu card 46 are given in Fig. 13. At the top the menu card 46 includes a space 41 for indicating the seat number of the guest using the card. Below the space for indicatin the seat number, the menu for the day is set forth together with the price of the various articles and a place to indicate which food articles are desired. The guest then totals the amount of the food articles chosen in the space 48 at the bottom of the face side of the card, and then places his money in payment for the chosen food articles in the small transparent envelope 49 provided for this purpose on the reverse side of the menu card 46, as shown in adjacent edges of the, conveyor I7 providing a space therebetween into which the menu card 46 may be inserted. Fixedly mounted beneath the spaces between the edges of the conveyor I1 and the strips 50 are channel-shaped receiving membore 52 supported by brackets 53 extending yertically from the table portions or counters I 3. The channel-shaped receiving members 52 extend from one wall to the other wall of the serving booth or kitchen II and do not enter the.

serving booth or kitchen. a

When a menu card 46 is inserted in the space between the top conveyor I1 and one of the strips fl,'the bottom edgewillbe engagedin the: receiv ing'member v52 therebeneath and "be supported priate chute 54 and collect against afrcnt ledge:

of the chute to be.- available to. the attendant within theserving booth or kitchen H. The

chute 54 is supported by brackets 55 upon one wall of the serving'booth or kitchen ll. 1

Movable portieres are suspended from thereceiving members 52 'to'hide from view the lower conveyor I8 and more particularly the soiled dishes and utensils on the lower conveyor [8.

These portieres comprise adjacent depending'wire' members 56 which have their top ends 51 bent around L-shaped supporting brackets 58. .M'ore specifically, the top ends '51" of the wire members are'bent around one armfiof the L-shaped sup.- porting' brackets 58 between spaced flanges 59 formed on the'said arm. The other arm of the L-shaped supporting brackets are. formed with screw threads and'are threadedly engaged intothe'bottom face of the receiving, members 52 as shown in Figs. 4 and '5. Normally, the wire members '56 depend freel from their supporting brackets 58; however, they can be swung inwards to permit the soiled dishes and utensils to be placed on the bottom conveyor 18 to be carried into the serving booth or kitchen II.

Mounted on the topface of the top conveyor H at spaced points therealong are vertically extending standards 60; These standards move with the top conveyor l1 and within the serving booth or kitchen I 1, the attendant-after placing a given order on the top conveyor l1 adjacent one of the standards 60 mounts an indicator 6|, see Figs. 1, l1 and 12, on that standard to indicate the seat number to which the particular order belongs. The indicators 6| are preferably formed of wood and have an opening 62 extended in from one side thereof to receive the top end of the standard 60. The sides of the indicator 61 have painted thereon numbers corresponding to one of the seat numbers 43. The attendant within the serving booth or kitchen H has an indicator H for each of'theeating areas of the table portions or counters 13.

At one point the serving table is formed with an underpass 53, see Fig. l, beneath which the guests must pass to be seated on the inner side of the circle. In the vicinity of the underpass (53, the portions of the conveyors I! and I8 are covered by a tubular member 64. If desired, -so that the guests will not have to stoop too low to pass through the underpass 63, a, portion ofthe floor beneath the underpass can be lowered forming a ramp 65, as shown in Fig. 1, to permit guests to pass more easily beneath the underpass.

The operation of the food server of the present invention is as follows:

A guest desiring to eat chooses a desired eating area at the table portions or counters l3 and sits on the adjacent stool It. If the chosen eating area is inside the circle, the guest must pass through the underpass 63. The guest then removes the menu card 46 from its supporting bracket 45 and marks his seat number in the space 41. On the face ofthe card, he then indicates the food articles which he wishes to order,

between the: adjacent edge of "the top conveyoml 1* and the strip 50 to rest onthe receivingv memben 52 to becarried by the rotating conveyor l'l into the serving bOOth O1 kitchen II where the'cardf 46 Will drop' into the chute 54.. The. attendant.

within the serving booth "or kitchen. l l takes the card-.fromthe chute 54, notes the ioodarticles, ordered and checks: the amount entered in the,

space (It!v and sees if the proper amount'of money has been placed inthe transparent envelope.

on the reverse sideof'th'e .menucard 46; Ifz'the;

charge and the payment tally, the. attendant then places the'ordered food articles on the top cone veyorrl! adjacent one of the standards Bland; mounts an indicator 61, carrying a numberrcorsl responding to; the seat numberindicated on'fthe: menu card 46, on the top of the said "adjacent standard. The conveyor rotates carrying the .food'.

articles from the serving boothv or kitchen "It around until the'food articles reach aposition in front of the guest who ordered them. The guest then moves-his switch 44 to the off.'posi-- tion thus stopping rotation of theconveyorsfn' and 18 with his iooda'r'ticles inirontof him, removes the 'food articles and places them'on the eating area of the table portionor counter 3 in position and then eats'his meal;

front of him, turns the switch M- 'to the fon Upon fi-nishing his meaL'the guest places the soiled dishes and utensils on-the' lower conveyor I8, through the movable portiere and leaves the-1 restaurant. The-lower conveyor 18 will carr the soiled dishes and utensils into the serving boothor kitchen wherethe-sweeper' member 38 wi-1l sweep them onto the moving belt 33 to be carried; tothe dishwashing station;- The procedure -is followed for each-guest. a

' While the serving table is shownas being mime on the accompanying drawings, it is pointed out that this is by way of illustration only, and that the table could be formed in other shapes.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction hereindisclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: v

1. In a device of the class described, .a circular base, superimposed conveyors mounted on said base, means associated with said conveyors concealing one of them, means rotatively supporting said conveyors, racks formed on the adjacent inner faces of said conveyors, a large gear between said conveyors and meshing with said racks, and means for driving said large gear to turn said conveyors in opposite directions. I

2. In a device of the class described, a circular base, superimposed conveyors mounted on said said conveyors in-opposite directions, and means for moving articles carriedby the lowermost of said superimposed conveyors ofi that conveyor at one point in its path of movemenasa'id article removing means comprising a moving. beltfBX-Z tendingxradially fromv saidflowermost conveyor.

at:'. the said one point, andxa. rotativ.e.sweeper. member for pushing the articles ofi said'lower: most conveyor and onto said belt,; said@.zrotative sweeper member .being .driven by saidm'eans forrotating said conveyors. 1

meansformoving articles carried bythe 1oWer-.. most .of said superimposed conveyors off, that conveyor at one point initspath of movement, said .article removing means comprising a mov-- ingbelt extending radially from. said lowermost conveyor at the said one point, and. a rotative sweeper member for pushing the articles off said. lowermost conveyor and onto; said belt, said;.ro.-.

tativeqsweeper member being driven by... said means for rotatingv said conveyors, said sweeper,

member comprising a vertical shaft rotatively supported at the. outer periphery of said lower conveyor andladjacentone side of said belt,.:a hub fixed .to said vertical shaft, and blades extended radially from. said hub to push dishes off said lower conveyor and ,onto said belt as said shaft; rotates.

4-,;In a device of the class described; acircue lar base, superimposed conveyors mountedv on said base, means associated with said conveyors concealing one of them, means rotatively supporting said conveyors, means comprising a large gear mounted between, said conveyors for rotatingsaid conveyors in opposite directions, and means for movingarticles carried'by the;lowermost of. said superimposed conveyorsofi. that conveyor at one point in its path of movement said article removing means comprising a, mov-q conveyorat the saidone. :point, and a rotative' sweeper member for pushing. the articles 011 said lowermost conve'yor .andonto said .belt, said rtative sweepenm'ember beingQdriven by-said means for rotatingisaid conveyors,l.said sweeper member comprisingrla vertical shaft ro-tatively supported at'the outer periphery.- of said lower conveyorsand adjacentone side of said belt, a hub fiXed:to-:said vertical shaft,' and blades extended radially from said hub to pushv dishes oft said lower; conveyor and .onto saidibeltassaid shaft rotates, said drive forv said sweeper member comprising a gear mountedbn, the top: end of said shaft, and a. second gear. driven by said conveyor rotating means andmeshing with said first gear.

' WINTONL. SPRINGER.

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